ACPO lead on local policing and partnerships Chief Constable Simon Cole:

"The ONS figures reflect our experience that perceptions of anti-social behaviour and its impact varies greatly; personal characteristics and circumstances have an effect as does the area in which people live. The figures show that many people and communities are very resilient to anti-social behaviour: a large majority of respondents who had experienced or witnessed the most common forms of anti-social behaviour reported that the impact on their quality of life was low.

"However, we know that some people are, or feel that they are, more at risk from the harms caused by anti-social behaviour. Police take a risk-based approach to dealing with crimes of this type, prioritising those most at harm. As this approach continues to be embedded across the service, forces will get better at identifying vulnerable victims and tailoring their response.

"The police service is committed to working closely with partner agencies and communities to further improve the way we all deal with anti-social behaviour. So I am encouraged to see that 72 per cent of those who reported drink related behaviour to the police and 67 per cent who reported behaviour involving those hanging around on the streets were satisfied with the police response."

ENDS